Seed Money

Gardening: School-community garden mini-grants

The Friends of Burlington Gardens hopes to plant seeds of success for young growers this spring. The nonprofit has announced a round of 40 mini-grants aimed at growing the relationship between schools and gardeners. The $1000 awards will be given to school-community garden partnerships. Eligible gardens must be affiliated with a public school, located on publicly owned land and significant in size. Funding comes from a federal grant secured by the Vermont Community Foundation and Friends of Burlington Gardens, with support from Sen. Bernie Sanders. "Schools are the center of community," says FBG executive director Jim Flint, so school-community gardens are a natural fit, offering lessons in botany, ecology, weather, wildlife and nutrition. March 15 is the deadline to apply; winners will be announced in April.